Why don't they make a dedicated iPod just for...

Apple did have one like that, the 4th gen 40GB wheel click model. I bought one a couple years ago and use it just as you mentioned. However, that unit had hard drive problems which I can verify. The unit will just freeze and you have to wait for the battery to drain before you can use it again.

Since then, Apple has taken the multi-use approach. It makes sense, since it seems the unstoppable trend world-wide is towards small, portable multi-communication/entertainment devices.

We music only lovers are a minority.

Right - but I feel like I'm paying for something that I won't be using. Also, isn't it possible that an all audio version would have a better DAC than an audio/video version?

Holy cow, where to begin? You're paying for a 30/60 GB hard drive. When you buy a hard drive for your computer, do you look around for one that CAN'T be used for things you don't need???

As for the DAC, get over it. Really, really good DAC chips cost less than $1 apiece when purchased in the quantities that Apple does. And the DAC in the iPod is a really, really good DAC. Don't take my word for it. Take John Atkinson's: "The iPod's measured behavior is better than many CD players."

Well, I feel that if it weren't for video I could get something smaller in physical size (and price) while still having a large capacity for music files... Also, it appears that the iPod John Atkinson references is an older model (i.e. not the video iPod). Perhaps the DAC has changed given the different models?

Also, when I'm paying $400 for a 60gb hardrive you can be sure that I'm certainly going to take into consideration things that I don't need and won't use...

Thanks though! Anyone know if Apple has any new iPod releases in the near future?

You're out of luck. The video is a big selling point for the iPod and it's a very safe bet that any large capacity new model will prominently feature the video capabilities. If it's that important, then the iPod is not the product for you.

These websites will report any seismic ripple when the Apple rumor mill starts rumbling.

www.macosrumors.com

www.appleinsider.com

www.thinksecret.com

www.macworld.com/news

It used to be that new product lines or model updates were launched at Macworld San Francisco [January] and Macworld New York [July], but these days Steve Jobs has been dropping bombs on us when we least expect it.